Six Sigma A Smarter Solution

Six years working in an incumbent telecommunication company, I have learned that quality is key for anything from satisfying customers, maintaining network performance and lowering costs; just to name a few.

One of the quality tools that we use is Six Sigma, which emphasizes on zero defect, continuous improvement of business processes and management commitment toward quality. It is a very useful tool for any type of organization or even individuals to continuously improve productivity efficiency.

Smarter Solution is an established training, consulting and coaching company which focuses on Six Sigma Education. It offers clients an innovative business process improvement system that goes beyond the balanced scorecard and integrates the best practices of Lean Six Sigma. I'm for one fortunate enough to attend a course on Six Sigma from one of its affiliates. To find out more on Six Sigma or training schedule, head over to www.smartersolutions.com

This entry is written for http://www.smartersolutions.com

Dasyatnye Sales Blog

Hi all..

I am pleased to announce that dasyatnye.com now has a sister site Dasyatnye Sales Blog. This new site will focus on sales activity of practical gadgets, computing and photography accessories. All products on sale are from my personal collection, family or friends. Please drop by from time-to-time to see on the latest product on sale.

As a launching promotion, there are discounts for the Handbag Hooks. Please over to Dasyatnye Sales Blog for further details. Happy shopping :)

Cheap International Calls at Phone Cards Avenue

Telephone nowadays is a necessity, whether it is over a fixed or wireless network. While local calls are getting cheaper, International calls is still charged at a premium rate as the rates are beyond a local telecommunication company’s control. As workaround solution we have an alternative such as communicating through the Internet, however it lacks that intuitive feeling of picking up the phone and talking to the other person in real time.

Well, fret no more over that expensive International call bill at the end of the month. Now you can feel free to pick up that phone and make an International call with an advent of cheap Prepaid Phone Cards providers such as Phone Cards Avenue. This company makes its easier for us to find the best possible rate to a call destination using cheap prepaid phone cards. Phone Card Avenue provides the best online phone cards solution for International and long distance calls. You can save up to 95% of your call charges by using the phone cards.

Phone Cards Avenue website itself makes it easy for us to find the best rates by country. Just select from the drop-down list your country and all Phone Cards available will be displayed. Malaysia for example, the lowest rate is at 6 cents per minute; which is dirt cheap for an International call. Apart from the rates, Phone Card Avenue also provides some ratings on the Phone Card’s; Call Quality, Billing and its Connection performance.

As this is an online phone card service provider, you will do all this in the comfort of your home. No more going out to 7-Elevens to buys calling cards or wait at night or early morning just to catch that slightly cheaper rate from your Telco. Take control of your phone bills and make calls whenever you want at the cheapest rate. Head over to Phone Cards Avenue now to find the best rate for your country.

This entry is written for http://www.phonecardsavenue.com

Malaysian Driving

I know this is a topic that we commonly know and experience from day-in and day-out. I've been on Malaysian roads for quite some time to express my opinion that attitude of a Malaysian driver has become from bad to worse. We have become so inconsiderate, law breakers and violent; we even have the cheeks to be mad or argue when clearly they are in the wrong or breaking the rule.

Take an example just for today, with the limited hours on the road; I have witnessed:

• 3 accidents, 2 on the road and one gone into a river
• 5 drivers driving while the traffic lights are red
• 2 drivers driving through a no entry or the opposite direction of a one way street
• 2 drivers driving through a red light at a pedestrian crossing
• numerous people not stopping at a zebra crossing
• uncountable numbers of speeding
• changing lanes or turning at a junction without signaling
  
• reckless driving

I read Readers Digest article on the Ranking of the Worse Drivers (attitude) in the world approximately 6 years back; Malaysia ranked fifth in Asia. By today if the study was conducted again, I would think we could be ranked the first. As at that time, Philippines drivers was at the top spot and the way the author put it; it describes the way we drive today.

Children witnessing their parents breaking the law on the road, what would they think about that? It should be ok as the parents did i, excellent example to the children. Do you have no shame? The authorities not doing their job enforcing the law prolonging over the years, this is what it has become. People no longer respect the law nor the authorities, do you have no shame?

It is a sad sight to see and a heartache of how bad things had become. Worse of all, if you think beyond the driving; in my opinion it reflects our attitude, discipline level and our principles in life. I love this country and that is why I express my dissatisfaction and grief here as clearly the government is not doing anything significant to rectify this social ill. I wonder what kind of leader or society will we have in another 10 years time?

PC Fair 2008 Aftermath

PC Fair 2008 in Kuala Lumpur just passed over the weekend and its the usual scene. The place was overly crowded and not much of a showcase. Prices are cheap, but not much if compared to purchasing it at Low Yat Plaza on normal days. If it ain't urgent, just buy at the shop.

As I have a list of things to buy, this year I went for the fair 2 days in a row. Day 1 was on Friday, a working day and I can only go after office hours. Since there's not much time left till closing at 9pm; day 1 is dedicated to survey the products and prices. Oh! day 1 also is the day to buy cheap back issue magazines before they're sold out.

Day 2 on Saturday was for shopping!! This year really did the damage; bought some RAMs, antivirus softwares, power bricks and LCD monitors. Notice the 's', bought not 1 but 2 power bricks and LCD monitors. And the ridiculous layout and flow rule of the PC Fair from the year before is still there. I was puffing, huffing and stopped several times just to get out of the exhibition hall through the "designated exit".

This flow rule is to ensure that every hall is visited especially the main sponsors. Going 2 days straight, I find it very troublesome as I wanted to go to hall 4 out of 5. Exit also the same as mentioned, luckily there was the gurlfriend who helped me to carry the power bricks. In Singapore IT Fair, you are free to enter and exit at any of its entrance. Which makes it very practical if you suddenly decided to get that "item" that wanted directly in and out.

Oh well, as much I compare and complaint; I still go to Malaysia PC Fair and buy stuffs. It's a guy attraction thing I suppose, being around all those gadgets. Also we did bump into Shook and his brother at the fair.

p/s : My unluckiness hits twice as of today; One of the LCD monitor I've bought has a dead pixel, after getting a replacement yesterday' again there was also a dead pixel. Trying to get it changed again tomorrow.

Featured Item : Kani Snapshot Trekka Camera Bag

Regardless if you are a professional, amateur photographer or just an avid hobbyist; a camera system is your invested asset. Sometimes it is your pride and joy after saving money for couple of months just to make the purchase. Choosing the right bag is essential to keep your gear and gadgets well protected when on the move.

Featured item is Kani Snapshot Trekka SLR Backpack, model no BP01C-B06M. Kani is variant from Bagman which targets the Australian, China & Hong Kong market. It is among the favored brand name for the budget conscious. However the build quality and materials used are not compromised, it is at par with the leaders. I myself is a satisfied user of their notebook backpack and camera sling bag .

Although bag is designed for the photographers, the Snapshot Trekka is also a practical backpack for all your travelling or studying needs. The bag features an adjustable padded slots for camera equipment (multiple lenses, SLR camera) and a padded notebook slipcase (fits 14.1" widescreen notebook), both are detachable. With this flexibility of removing the compartments, at any one time you can use the bag to: carry both notebook & camera, carry notebook & luggage, camera only or luggage only.

Other than that, the bag comes with are 2 zipped pockets at the front, 2 side pockets and a slit on the side to a hook tripod. External dimension on the bag are 340 x 220 x 490 (mm). With this bag, you have everything you need to take the perfect shot.

Quick Facts on product features

• Water repellent fabric
• Uniquely designed foam-padded back to allow air flow with anti-slip pad
  
• Heavy duty padded shoulder straps
• Lower front zip pocket
• Upper front organizational zip sleeve pocket
• Detachable padded notebook case and camera case
• Tripod hanger

Interested? Simply follow the pictured link under 'Items For Sale' on the right hand side of this page or go direct to my eBay listing. Purchasing or any questions on the bag can also be done via this blog. Thank you for looking.

Get Listed in a Web Directory

The Internet is a good medium for businesses to reach and market its product and services. Today there are thousands upon thousands of business websites out there to compete with globally. Getting a good page rank is essential to be on top of page search results which provide your website more visibility to potential customers. This is substantially true for small, medium or new businesses promoting its product over the net.

Traditionally you would promote your business website offline in your company business cards, local flyers, newspapers, magazines, radio and etc; banking for people to go to your website. All is good, accept you can’t track its effectives directly and involves major costs.

An alternative is to get your business website listed in a web directory. What better way to do that other than DirMania; which is one of the strongest free business web directory, providing quality free web directory advertising. Having your business website listed in a web directory will increase your page rank and visibility as this website is also search engine friendly.

Getting your website listed at DirMania is easy and fast. Just submit your business website details to them and if everything checks out, your business website will be listed in the web directory within 24 hours. To learn more or to get your business website listed, visit www.dirmania.org.

This entry is written for www.dirmania.org

DIY Chocolate Coated Pretzels

These are two of my favorite snacks; pretzels & dark chocolate. In this DIY, I'm going to show you how I combined both to create a bitter sweet crunchy treat. This is nothing new, as this is just exactly what Nestle Flipz Pretzels are. The idea came about as the original Flipz is getting expensive at RM 12.90 for a bag of 141 grams, it used to be 7 or 8 bucks.

Fed up with the ridiculous price, I've decided to make my own. A bag of pretzels only costs RM 10 for 283 grams and RM 6 for a medium sized dark chocolate bar. If half of the chocolate bar is used, its makes about 35 deliciously chocolate coated pretzels; which is less than 1/10th of a bag of pretzels are used. So to make em...

You would need :
1. Pretzels
2. Half of medium sized chocolate bar
3. Teaspoon of butter




Step 1
Put the chocolate in a bowl together with the butter and zap em both in the microwave for 3 minutes on high to melt. Learn to melt chocolate from *the gurlfriend*



Careful taking out the bowl from microwave, it's hot. I like to have a lot of chocolate coated, so my liquid chocolate consistancy is quite thick.





Step 2
To coat the pretzels; put 2 to 3 pieces at any one time as longer exposure to the hot liquid will soften the pretzel and make it less crunchy.




I used a kitchen tweezers to flip the pretzels in the bowl, to ensure it is fully coated with chocolate. If the chocolate in the bowl start to stiffen, put it back in the microwave for a minute.




Step 3
One by one immediately after dipping into the chocolate, arrange your pretzels in a container. The chocolate is still soft, to harden it; place it in the fridge and 20 minutes later its ready to be eaten.



It's so simple right? The preparations on took 15 minutes. Trust me, it's delicious and the taste is the same as Flipz. I've yet to try on white chocolate, normal dairy and as I'm writing this; I'm thinking of sprinkling some chocolate rice or crushed almond over the coated chocolate pretzels. Give it a try and tell me how'd it turned out :)

Quick Cash for Your Financial Needs

You are experiencing monetary problem and in dire need of money, a loan is short term solution for your financial woes. Ultimately, in the long run you must have a proper financial plan to deter from such circumstances. However it could be also due to unexpected event that led you to the situation.

Whatever the reason is, you still need cash quick. Unless you have a rich relative willing to help, extra savings, or able to get an advance pay check; you are most likely to get external loan. Happy Pay Day Loans is a website which assists you in recommending the best lenders companies on the Internet.

The list of Payday Loans providers in the website are based on their track records from thousands of satisfied customers. Selection criteria also include superior service, fast approvals, and competitive interest rates. Happy Pay Day Loans facilitates the Payday Loans applications through online forms in most cases loans are approved within 1 day. To learn more on how you can apply, visit Happy Pay Day Loans for further details.

This entry is written for www.happypaydayloans.com

PC Fair 2008

How time flies, I haven't written about the Singapore IT Show which I went to last month now comes along Malaysia's PC Fair 2008. To be more precise, this years PC Fair will be held at the same venue Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (for Klang Valley) and will commence this Friday till Sunday (11th - 13th April 2008).

The PC Fair which usually held twice a year; for past 3 years I've been at least once a year. The thing I look forward most to during a PC Fair are the cheap computing and technology back issues magazines. Other than that I do not bother to go if there isn't anything that I wish to purchase.

The reason I said it that way is because, PC Fair in Malaysia is quite bland, crowded and boring. Their modes operandi maintains the same every year without improvement to the exhibits. Everybody is selling the same thing and at a 'Promotional' price and there is introduction of new technology due to the minimal participation of big IT companies. For a change, I would very much like to see the latest gadgets, technology or even some prototypes for a peek to the future.

Oh well.. I don't see it happening any sooner. Even after saying that, I'm still going this year as I have a list of items to buy; software & hardware. Give me buzz if you're there also :)

Find Articles or Tutorials at Web-articles

If you are looking for an alternative website for some reference articles or tutorials, look no further than Web-articles. Information found on this website is not only well organized and easy to search, but here you can also be assured of its content quality as all entries are screened prior to listing for uniqueness and originality. The website emphasizes on simplicity on its design and navigation but comprehensive on information.

Currently at the time of writing there are 1,304 articles on Web-article since May 2007 which covers a wide range of categories namely; Arts and Entertainment, Business, Computers and Technology, Education and Reference, Electronic and Communication, Travel and Leisure, just to name a few. The collection of articles or tutorials on Web-article increases from day-to-day as a result of individual contributions.

Articles that you find at Web-article are free but if you intent to use for example; an article from web services in your website, it is just a matter of specifying the source or link to the original article in Web-article. In fact to make life much easier, there is already an html link script for you to copy and paste elsewhere at the end of each article.

After visiting, browsing and reading a few articles from this website; Web-article can be referred as an oasis of quality reference amongst the vast information available on the Internet. Visit www.web-articles.info to expand your knowledge or contribute an article.

This entry is written for www.web-articles.info

DIY : Guitar Pick Holder

This is a simple DIY guitar pick holder, inspired like the ones in concerts; where they place extra picks along the microphone stand boom for easy reach. Well, I don't perform in gigs nor concerts, but I just like how the picks lined up nicely and how easy it is to access them.

This is a relatively easy project and would only take 10 to 15 minutes. To make the holder, you would require the following items :

Intro : Materials for the pick holder
~ 1 Binder Bar ~ 1 A4 size Foam Board

Tools
~ Steel ruler ~ cutter
~ magic tape ~ 3mm diameter rod


Step 1

Cut the foam board to a 3 cm strip





Step 2

Fold the foam strip into two along its length and tape it to a steel ruler. Fold in way to have one side is slightly wider than the other.



Step 3

Insert the foam board into the binder bar by sliding it in with the ruler from one side till its fully in.




Step 4

Remove the taping and peel off the ruler.





Step 5

Trim off the access foam at both end, and there you have it; a concert like guitar pick holder.

Should you need a more detailed step-by-step guide, view my entry at Instructables.com for more info. Hope you find this entry useful and easy enough to follow.

Unexpected Find

I just love gadgets and handphones naturally tops the list. Since the introduction of Samsung Blackjack in the US (end 2006), I was captivated by its sleek design and the numerous connectivity options. I read loads of reviews and joined few forums just to know more on its features and get an insight as when will this smartphone arrive to our shores.

In the following year; early 2007, we had our first of tri-annual PC Fairs and I must say that the event marketing sure did it’s work as I found my way there 3 years in a row. I actually went to find a backpack for my (back then) new laptop, when I was unexpectedly lured to a Samsung booth. It was not due to the pretty Samsung Girls, but to something I’ve been craving for months; Yes! You’ve guess it right, the Blackjack!!

Over here evidently, they called it Samsung SGH-i600 and it bears one additional connectivity option which is WiFi on top of HSDPA and Bluetooth. I wasn’t expecting it to be here for at least a couple of months, in fact; I haven’t started saving for it. Package includes the phone, 2 batteries, 1Gb micro SD memory, Bluetooth earpiece and 18 months warranty; outside the event, package doesn’t comes with the Bluetooth earpiece which retails for RM150. I was hooked on the offer and swiped that good old credit card.

If memory serves me right that’s not the only damage of the day, apart from the phone, I’ve also purchased a backpack for my notebook, memory keys and notebook RAM; all "on offer". This frenzy sure cleaned my wallet for a few months. Currently the phone has been updated with Windows Mobile version 6 and working flawlessly. I heard that there is a new and improved model just launched and the event marketing has already sent out invites. Guess where I will be in 11th till 13th April 2008?




This entry is written for http://www.regonline.com

DIY Dry Box : Keep Your Gadgets Safe

Storing your camera or electronic gadgets properly is quite essential to avoid an unplanned trip to the servicing center. Your equipment is best stored in a cool and dry place to avoid:

1. Moisture – more often if your room is air-conditioned due to the condensations
2. Fungus - especially for camera lenses
3. Dust – if stored on an open shelve for example

The best place to avoid all these is to store your equipments in a dry box. There are many commercially available dry boxes in the market, but more often they are expensive.

A cheaper solution which I’m currently practicing is to use an air tight plastic container and put in a few silica gel inside which you can get from any good camera shop. The sachets type is quite hard to come by (unless you eat a lot of BinBin Rice Crackers; there's a small sachet inside), however the loose ones packed in a bigger bag is available at Photo Shangrila.

The container keeps the dusts away and silica gel acts as an agent that absorbs any moisture within the container. Now you’ve eliminated the 3 threats above and keep your equipments safe.

This plastic container has an air lock and a valve to withdraw air out once the lid is closed.
Inside: a few sachet type silica gels (these are not from BinBin :P). The blue padding is actually high density foam which you can get from a stationary store.

This plastic container on the other hand has a tray inside which is perfect to put the loose type silica gels.

There no step-by-step DIY guide here as it is fairly easy and mostly common sense. A good project to keep your gadgets safe and organized.

Prolong Your Youth and Enjoy Life

Erectile dysfunctional is a normal phase in a man’s life, when the age increases. Like everything in life, there is a cycle for us to follow. It’s either you accept and do nothing about it or you find a solution to prolong the fun.

Nowadays, there are many products available in the market to treat this problem; the most common and popular choice is Viagra. Tadalafil is a new and improved variant of the medication, and the improvement is reflected by the results; which is far more superior. In a simple comparison, Tadalafil takes half the time to be in affect and lasts 9 times longer than Viagra.

In other words you will have less time to wait and more time to get satisfied. Whether you are looking for a longer lasting fun, boost your self confidence or simply prolonging your youth, Tadalafil is the product for you. Visit www.tadalafil.org for further details.

This entry is written for http://www.tadalafil.org

Today's Breakfast

Today I had a special treat for breakfast; Pulut Durian! It's not so often I can have this meal as the durian fruit is seasonal and I have never come across food vendor selling this in Kuala Lumpur. In the northern states like Kedah and Perlis; yes, it is commonly available at pasar malam (night market). The closest I could find is, Pulut Mangga which is a Thai delicacy however its yumminess is a far cry from its original.

Anyhow, pulut durian consists of:
1. Pulut (steamed glutenous rice )
2. Durian fruit
3. Santan (coconut milk cooked with a pinch of salt)

Best eaten with the hands, the taste is creamy and sweet; best thing in the world. However beware; according to some the smell of the durian is not very pleasing. Yesterday, as I was making payment at a counter; the gurlfriend and the lady cashier thought they'd smelt propane gas!! Obviously it was not the case as it was only my durian. To me it smell sweet and yummy.

Oh well.. people has different opinion on that subject, but most of us love this fruit. Just take it like cheese, some frown and don't eat due to the smell or taste. I know most of you eat durian; why not try it in this combination, I assure it that you'd want more :D

Break The Vault and Win Cash Prizes

Break The Vault is an online contests site that offers cash prizes to its winner. The contest or game is based on a trivia like game play whereby a player has to guess the answer based on a given set of clues. Contestants can try as many times as they wish as answering tries are unlimited. This will definitely increase your odds whether you’re a beginner or a pro at this kind of games.

One will be declared as the winner once the correct answer has been provided and will receive the pot cash prize. The value of the cash prize will vary according to the difficulty level of the game. Another best thing apart from the multiple tries and winning cash prizes; your money will be deposited into PayPal!! To me, it doesn’t come any better than this.

Why not give it a try? It’s free and the cash prizes are quite lucrative. Head over to Break The Vault to start cracking and earn some cash!

This entry is written for http://www.breakthevault.com

Singapore Bites

Whenever travelling, I always love to sample local food and Singapore is no exception. In this post I would like to share one of my all time favourite snacks over there which is Old Chang Kee. I love it so much that I look forward to have a bite every time I’m there and even put it in my to do list in my last trip :P

At Old Chang Kee, they sell various concoctions of fried seafood (mostly shrimp & squids), fishballs, nuggets, chicken, heck almost anything that could be pierced by the bamboo sticks. They also specializes in curry puffs, this is not your average 3 by 1 half inch that we’re used to; it is more like the size a slice of cheesecake. There are also many fillings to choose from the traditional potato chicken curry, beef and sardines.

My personal favourites are the squid head on stick and the sardine puff (pictured). These two are exceptionally delicious; I’m producing access saliva while writing this. You might say that we also have Old Chang Kee in Malaysia (Sungei Wang & One Utama), but we don’t have that extra enhancer which is the sambal (fried chilli paste), and we also don’t have the sardine puff.

If you don’t believe how delicious it is, just look at the number of people queuing up. If you’re ever heading over there, be sure to have a taste or feast! It won’t empty your wallet but filled your stomach instead. Old Chang Kee could be easily found on the Orchard Road stretch and throughout the island.

Find a Store Like a Local at @List.org

You’re new in town, looking for a hardware store and a garage to service your car. You can ask the neighbours, but they seem to be out on a vacation. Rather than wondering aimlessly around town and going to a premise without knowing its credibility, why don’t you head over to @List.org to find the service you are looking for?

@List is the most comprehensive, online business directory for both businesses & consumers. You can find business operators within your area as @List groups the listings by category and location. In this case, you can browse under Home & Garden category for that hardware store and Automotive for the servicing garage.

Furthermore, @List is not merely a directory of companies; when you find that specific store in the listing, you can also check on the rating of that company. The ratings are given by normal people like us, whom had used their service before. It is as good as getting a recommendation from a seasoned resident in that area.

Now you can arrange a good transport for Aunt Mary that is coming to visit by searching under the Travel & Transportation category. While you're there, you might also want to book a Hotel perhaps ;D Head over to @List.org to start exploring a business premise near you.

Business operators are also welcomed, find out more on how you can list your business in the directory and maximize your company exposure at @List.org

This entry is written for http://www.atlist.org

Bad Luck or Statistics

Malaysian general election just went by and I am damn glad that I didn't vote. Don't give me that: "you're not practicing your rights speech". %#%$@!! For all I care they are all a bunch of clowns.

Why am I so furious? Well I've just recently serviced my car; it's a normal major service for 60,000 KM. They done everything to the book inclusive of alignment & balancing, the bill totaled to RM5XX. It's okay for me since it a major service.

However, yesterday as I was on my way back home; I hit a big pot hole in the middle of the MRR2. What the ^%$#@!! It was unavoidable; people couldn't see it as it was raining and the damn thing is filled with water. People pay road tax, income tax, service tax.. the lot to a lousy administrator $#@%$#!!

Today I discovered that when I corner, my right front tyre would hit the bodywork. %$@$#!! First ripping me off with taxes and now I have to pay more for the repairs and take time off to send the car. To me, this is not bad luck; just plain statistics. That hole for all I know has been there for weeks, and I'm one of the people so happen to dunk a tyre in it.


If you're the D*** F*** that maintains the road, please do your F****** job or go rot in hell for all I care. Do you want to pay for the damages incurred? Don't wait till a motorcyclist tumble and die to take action.

Drivers & motorcyclist; please be careful if you are using the MRR2 and heading towards Gombak. The pot hole is just before the Kampung Pasir flyover on the right most lane.

Note to other readers: I don't usually post these kind of entries, but I'm really pissed.